K-9 Partners On Patrol Meet Orange County's Newest K-9 Combination

Rock Galloway and his partner roll up to the crime scene to search for cocaine in a suspect's car, one of several cars they would search that night.

After a few minutes of hunting under floor mats and seat cushions, Galloway's partner yelps out. He has found $100 worth of crack hidden in the car's side door panel.

''That's a good boy!'' coos Galloway, an Orange County deputy sheriff, and tosses his partner a tennis ball to play with.

Galloway's partner is Jago (pronounced YA-go), a 3-year-old German shepherd from Czechoslovakia and the newest K-9 patrolling Orange County.

After 400 hours of classwork and training, Jago was teamed up eight months ago with Galloway to join the sheriff's K-9 patrol, a corps of 12 deputies and their specially trained shepherds.

Jago is a fully deputized officer and patrols with Galloway full-time. Like the other German shepherds in the patrol, among Jago's talents is his ability in finding drugs, searching crime scenes for evidence and tracking criminals.

''Jago is an excellent K-9,'' Galloway says. ''He has a great personality, and is real friendly, but when the time comes he gets the job done.''

For Jago, getting the job done is often as simple as standing next to Galloway. ''More often than not, Jago's going to stop a potential problem by just being there with me.''

But Galloway is quick to point out that the image most people have of the police dog is usually an incorrect one. ''When we go to elementary schools, a lot of these kids are really scared of Jago because they don't know any better,'' Galloway says.

''But these dogs are smarter, better trained and safer than any dog you'll find on the street,'' he adds. ''K-9s don't kill, they don't attack people at will. It's a false perception that makes me mad.''

Galloway stresses that control is the key in working with K-9s, pointing out that every action Jago takes is a trained, emotionless reaction to Golloway's direct commands.

''He follows my direct order, and never second-guesses me.'' Very rarely, Galloway says, are the Orange County K-9s ever used in a crowd control situation where they would be required to bark and intimidate people.

Galloway says the dogs are trained so that every activity is a game with a reward.

''To Jago, finding drugs is a game; he is trained to thinks he's looking for his tennis ball,'' Galloway says. ''If you make it a big game, he has more fun and works harder for you.''

Even if Jago is chasing a criminal he thinks it is a game, Galloway says. ''The only time it's no longer a game to Jago is if my personal safety is being threatened.''

In addition to being Galloway's partner, Jago is also the family pet, living with Galloway, his wife, Tanya, and their newborn daughter, Christine.

''He's just like one of the family,'' Galloway says as Jago plops down at his feet with his favorite tennis ball. ''He goes wherever we go.''